Semba Building Dress Shopping

Dress shopping in Osaka.  I got a tip from some friends that a certain building near Hommachi Station had a few good shops for dresses.  Little did I know that "a building," of shops was actually ten buildings.  Consumerism in Japan still impresses me.  Along with the number of train lines it is an indicator of the population density here.  There are so many people that all these businesses are able to thrive and prosper.  Amazing.

I found the first of three shops and starting looking at dresses.  Luckily my limitations in color and simplicity narrowed it down to one plausible dress.  The shop owner seemed to think the size might not be right.  I asked if I could try it and she agreed then pointed to the tag and told me an unwritten price, "34,000 yen," or about $340.  A little too much, I said.  I let her walk from dress to dress trying to find something that would work even though it was clear there was nothing for me in the shop, until finally she excused me and I thanked her.

Shop number two had nothing but bedazzled flowers and bows.  Shop three the same, but upon leaving I noticed that across the way there were some simple-looking dresses.  Aha!  I had found it!  The size looked right, it was sweet and simple, and the price was reasonable.  The woman from across the way came running after me.  She explained that these were clothes for children, not adults.  I said I understood but kept looking at the dress thinking, "but this could work."  But I could tell I would not be buying this dress from her.  She would not let a grown woman make do with a child's dress.  

Sometimes intention gets a little blunted.  Sometimes the goal gets a little lopsided.  Sometimes the route needs to be a bit gerrymandered to actually work in the end.  So there will be another solution and it will not be bought from the south side of the 1st floor of Semba Building number 6 in Osaka.